Improvement in car-couplings



1. E. HITT.

Car-Couplings.`

Nc. 135,552. PatentedFb.4,1a7s.

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AM. PHoToi/THUGRAPH/cca N. K( osaomvsfs Pnocfs) PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. HITT, OF BEMENT, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 135,552, dated February4, 1873.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN E. HI'IT, ot' Bement, in the county of-Piattand State of l1- linois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Oar-Couplings; and do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing and to the letters ot' reference marked thereon.

The nature ot' my invention consists in the construction and arrangementof the various parts composing a car-coupling, as will be hereinaftermore fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the` art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe itsconstruct-ion and operation, referring to the annexeddrawiu g, whichforms a part otl this specification, and in which- Figure l is a sideelevation, and Fig. 2 a plan view ot' my car-couplin g. Fig. 3 is aperspective view ot' the coupling-link, and Fig. 4 is a section of oneot' the draw-bars with its bumper.

A represents a draw-bar, constructed in any of the known and usual ways,and provided at its outer end with the bumper B, the outer faceot whichis made concave, as shown. C represents the coupling-link, which is madein the form ot' a 1 shuttle. each end forming a blunt or rounded point,a, and through the center of the shuttle is a stayrod, b, the ends ofwhich extend a suitable distance beyond the sides of the link. This`stay-rod prevents the link from passing back beyond the center. Theconcave face ot' the bumper, when the cars are run together, pushes thelink back and raises the point of the link to the center, and allows thetwo to come together. On top of the draw-bar A is secured a horizontaltubular casing, D,lwhich is open at its outer end and contains within ita spiral spring, d. This spring acts upon-a sliding rod, f, placed insaid casing, and the outer end ot' which passes through a hole in, andprojects beyond, the bumper B. On the side of the rodj' is a projection,e, which 'passes through a slot in the base of a vertical tube, G,placed on the drawbar over the hole for the coupling-pin h. The

coupling-pin 7L being drawn up, the spring d pushes the rodf outwardtill the projection e enters the tube G, and there forms a support forthe pin to stand on.

Now, when the cars are brought together to i as shown in Fig. l, and thepin h have a lian.

(lle, 7c, extending through said slot. But for boxeurs-the tube G shouldbe without said slot, and a rod, m, runs from the pin to the top ot' thecar, by either of which means the pin may readily be raised to uncouplethe cars.

I am aware that coupling-pins have been guided to their places in thelinks by means substantially like mine; and that they have been heldready for coupling by being supported on bars, 85o., which are forcedinward against a spring and from underneath the piu when the bumpers arebrought in contact. Myinvention relatesparticularly to the peculiarconstruction of coupling-link O, having solid;

rounded ends in connection with the concave or bell-mouthed draw-head,and the attachments shown, whereby said link is more readily carriedwithin the openings in said draw-heads, while the pin b prevents itsbeing forced vtoo far one way or another while the coupling is beingmade.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is`

The shuttle-link C, having solid rounded ends a and a cross-bar, b,extending beyond the sides thereof, as shown, in combination with theconcave draw-heads B, the couplingpins G and supporting-rods f, thewhole arranged and operating as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed. our names.

J OHN E. HITT. Witnesses:

MARION CooTER, J oEN R. NELSON.

